Editor's note: With offseason work across the league coming to an end, the focus shifts to the steamy summer workouts ahead. To get you fully primed for the preseason and beyond, Sporting News provides in-depth looks at all 32 teams leading into training camp. Today:San Francisco 49ers. Prediction: Second, NFC West. Up next:St. Louis Rams

Two things typically happen to teams that play in the Super Bowl: Their rosters get picked over in free agency and they don't make it back to the NFL championship game the following year.

The 49ers lost major contributors from their 2012 squad — quarterback Alex Smith, safety Dashon Goldson and tight end Delanie Walker, for example — but they remain among the NFL's most talented teams.

Michael Crabtree's Achilles' tendon tear, which at the very least will cost him the season's first three months, is a big blow to the offense. However, newcomer Anquan Boldin has many of the same qualities and already seems to have developed a rapport with Colin Kaepernick.
Colt McCoy might not be as good as Smith as a backup, but he's an experienced starter who should benefit from Jim Harbaugh's tutelage. Add to that an impressive draft haul and the 49ers have a very good chance of again playing in February.

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The lone member of the 2012 draft class to make any impact as a rookie already has a strong rapport with QB Colin Kaepernick given their read-option backgrounds in college. James promises to continue to improve in pass protection, which will earn him more playing time. He also has a chance to earn a significant role on special teams after doing a good job on kickoff returns last year. The 49ers would love to see him take over on the more difficult punt returns as well.

At the end of 2011, Gore started to sputter, and it seemed as if his rugged career was reaching an end. It wasn't. With the 49ers coaching staff paying close attention to his workload, Gore bounced back in 2012, rushing for 1,214 yards — the second-best season of his career — and, more importantly, staying strong and healthy throughout the season and into the playoffs.

Kaepernick's big plays might attract a lot of attention, but the core of the 49ers' offense remains Gore's ability to make steady gains between the tackles. He promises to be the foundation of the offense again this year, although it's worth noting that that he turned 30 in May.

INSIDE THE HEADSET

Harbaugh is aggressive by nature, and his choice of Kaepernick over Alex Smith last year reflects his forward-looking nature. Harbaugh tended to go for it in fourth-and-short situations last year, but he likely will be a bit more conservative with a good, long-range kicker in Phil Dawson.

Next: view from the other sideline

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View from the other sideline

An opponent breaks down the 49ers:

"They're loaded. … The quarterback (Colin Kaepernick), he makes them difficult to defend. You hear all this stuff about him being a running quarterback, and them a read-option team. Yeah, but he also can zip it out of the pocket. If they get consistent play out of him this year, I don't know who's going to beat them in (the NFC West).

"Seattle's getting up there. (But) the 49ers are still better along the lines. … They lost their safety (Dashon Goldson) but reloaded there (with first-rounder Eric Reid) . It was a good safety class. (Goldson) was a good player, solid hitter, but he wasn't irreplaceable. The other guy (Donte Whitner) called the plays."
Next: analysis of offense

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Analysis: offense

Offensive coordinator Greg Roman's deep and detailed system calls for an array of personnel groups, and the 49ers are chameleon-like in their ability to change looks from one play to the next.

At their heart, however, the 49ers remain an old-fashioned offense with a big line that looks to beat opponents with a stout, up-the-gut running game. That, in turn, opens up opportunities for the passing attack and for Colin Kaepernick running to the outside from the read option.

Quarterbacks: Kaepernick burst onto the scene in mid-November, and when he did the offense's possibilities multiplied. In his first start against the Chicago Bears, Kaepernick showed he could be an adept touch passer from the pocket. In subsequent weeks — and in the playoffs — he was dangerous on the ground as well, vexing defenses from the Pistol formation like he did at Nevada and scoring five touchdowns on the run.

Kaepernick's versatility makes him so dangerous, and with a talented supporting cast, it's what promises to make the 49ers one of the NFL's most exciting and complex offenses.

Newcomer Colt McCoy doesn't have Kaepernick's athleticism, but he is mobile in the pocket and, most important, has experience having started 21 games with the Cleveland Browns. He has a lot of similarities to longtime 49ers starter Alex Smith.

As was the case with Smith, the 49ers should be able to win with McCoy if Kaepernick were to get injured. The group is rounded out by Scott Tolzien, a brainy and hard-working passer who is entering his third season. GRADE: A-

Running backs:Frank Gore's heir appears to be Kendall Hunter, who is equally adept running to the outside as he is up the middle. Hunter tore an Achilles' tendon on Nov. 25 but should be back for the start of training camp.

With Hunter out of action, LaMichael James filled in nicely late last season. James added a spark both to the return game and the offense and proved he can be relied upon for a bigger role.

Receivers: Before the 2012 season, no 49ers receiver had more than 1,000 yards since Terrell Owens in 2003. Michael Crabtree ended that ignominious streak with 1,105 yards, and then added 285 yards and three touchdowns in the postseason. But he tore an Achilles' tendon May 22, and the 49ers must replace him for at least the season's first three months.

The 49ers brought in Anquan Boldin to complement Crabtree, but now he will take the lead role. Like Crabtree, Boldin is fearless across the middle of the field and fights for every ball thrown in his direction. He was particularly effective against the 49ers in a regular-season game in 2011 and in the Super Bowl. But like Crabtree, Boldin is not known for his downfield speed, and the 49ers could use someone to stretch defenses.

Tight end Vernon Davis might be the fastest of that group, and he came on strong in the playoffs. The 49ers were able to replace his backup, jack-of-all-trades Delanie Walker, who left in free agency, in the draft with second-round pick Vance McDonald. GRADE: B

Line: The 49ers took a risk in 2012, betting that 6-8 Alex Boone, who had played tackle exclusively since he was in high school, could move inside to right guard. It worked. Boone was outstanding in his first season as a starter, a reflection on his dedication as well as the work of offensive line coaches Mike Solari and Tim Drevno.

The rest of the unit was just as solid. Perhaps the most notable feature of the Niners' line is that each member has good size but also is able to make blocks well downfield, particularly left tackle Joe Staley and left guard Mike Iupati.

Right tackle Anthony Davis adds an element of nastiness while veteran center Jonathan Goodwin gives it smarts and stability. With promising youngsters Daniel Kilgore and Joe Looney waiting in the wings, the future looks bright as well. The only weakness is a lack of depth at tackle. GRADE: A

Next: analysis of defense

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Analysis: defense

Coordinator Vic Fangio's 3-4 defense statistically was one of the league's best in 2012, but the lingering impression was the major lapses late in the season and in the playoffs, particularly the Super Bowl. The late-year breakdowns can be attributed in part to injuries to key players Justin Smith (triceps) and Aldon Smith (shoulder). With both men ailing, the pass rush weakened, which in turn put more pressure on a secondary that cracked at key moments. Justin Smith, who turns 34 this season, signed a two-year contract extension in June and is under contract through 2015.

Line: This unit seemed to get stronger in the 2011 postseason, harassing Drew Brees and Eli Manning and repeatedly knocking them to the ground. In 2012, the opposite occurred. Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco combined for 940 yards, eight touchdowns and a 109 passer rating against the Niners.

The most obvious issue was that Justin Smith was playing with a left triceps tendon that was more than 50 percent torn. Smith was not nearly the player he had been a year earlier, and the rest of the line suffered because of it.

That the 49ers did not have an adequate substitute for a one-and-half-armed Smith was telling. Smith is expected to fully recover in time for training camp, but the 49ers opted to use the eighth pick of the draft's second round to select Florida State's Cornellius Carradine, a/k/a/ Tank, as insurance.

At left end, Ray McDonald had another solid season but couldn't pick up the slack when Smith was injured. Free-agent acquisition Glenn Dorsey could start at nose tackle and provide depth at end. The team gave undrafted Ian Williams a contract extension in the belief that he'll also log significant minutes at nose tackle. GRADE: B

Linebackers: This is the strength of the defense and where the team dedicated most of its big-money salaries in recent years. The latest player to be rewarded was inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman, who led the team in tackles and who forms the league's top inside linebacker tandem with Patrick Willis. Both are as fast as safeties, and because of that they rarely have to leave the field.

At outside linebacker, Aldon Smith set a franchise record with 19.5 sacks but didn't have any in the team's final six games as he dealt with a shoulder injury and Justin Smith's absence. Opposite him, unheralded Ahmad Brooks finished with 6.5 sacks, but was the more effective of the two in the playoffs and Super Bowl. Brooks was involved in an ugly offseason incident, when he allegedly hit 49ers teammate Lamar Divens in the head with a beer bottle.

Looking for depth behind Brooks, the team drafted Auburn's Corey Lemonier in the third round. The 49ers will also get Parys Haralson back after a season on injured reserve, and 2012 rookies Darius Fleming and Cam Johnson should get their first real chances after injury-plagued debut seasons. GRADE: A-

Secondary: It is not as good as it was at this time last year. Starting free safety Dashon Goldson, a Pro Bowler in 2012, left via free agency. The 49ers replaced him in the draft with first-round pick Eric Reid of LSU. They also signed Craig Dahl, formerly with the St. Louis Rams, thinking that he will be a stopgap if Reid doesn't develop as quickly as expected. Donte Whitner is back at strong safety.

Defensive backs actually played well last season, finishing fourth in passing yards allowed and giving up 19 passing touchdowns. But communication snafus plagued them in the postseason, a problem that could linger as the team works in a new safety.

The team addressed cornerback concerns by acquiring Eric Wright from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on July 19. However, Wright faces character questions, including a four-game suspension last season for violating NFL drug use guidelines. GRADE: C+

Next: analysis of special teams

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Analysis: special teams

The 49ers replaced kicker David Akers with Phil Dawson, 36. While Akers was struggling through the worst season of his career in 2012, Dawson had his best and was awarded a Pro Bowl invitation. Dawson was particularly good from long range, which was Akers' failing.

Andy Lee remains one the league's top punters, while long snapper Brian Jennings continues to be flawless. The team signed special-teams ace Dan Skuta, a linebacker, in free agency in the hope that he'll anchor coverage units, which slipped noticeably from 2011 to 2012. GRADE: B

Next: bottom line

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Bottom line

The 49ers' defense, easily the team's strength in 2011 and most of 2012, probably won't be as good in 2013. How could it now that starting safety Goldson is gone and aging starters Smith and Rogers are a year older? The question is whether it will matter in the win-loss column.

The team improved itself on special teams with Dawson and initially improved itself on offense with Boldin, but Crabtree's injury was a significant setback. Meanwhile, Kaepernick takes over the team, this time with a full offseason as the unquestioned starter under his belt. The bottom line: The 49ers aren't just a good defensive team anymore and should contend again for the NFC title.